Practice: Past continuous (I)

Grammar: Past continuous

1.Form:

	Form	Exemple
Affirmative	was/were + ing	I was reading when she came home.
Interogative	was/were + Suject + [Verb]+ ing .. ?	Were you reading when she came home?
Negative	was/were + not+ [Verb] + ing	I was not reading when she came home.

❣Forma pozitiva se formeaza folosind verbul auxiliar „to be” la trecut (was pentru persoanele I si III singular si were pentru persoana a II-a singular si I; II; III plural) si verbul de conjugat la care adaugam „-ing”.

1. Spelling rules:
   

Vezi Speeling rules de la Present Continuous.

 2.Use :

➤ To talk an action which was in progress at a stated time in the past. We do not know when the action started or finished.

At 7 o’ clock this morning we were having coffee at the office.

(La ora 7 azi dimineata, ne beam cafeau la birou.)

➤ To talk about a past action that was in progress when another action interrupted it. („when” clauses)

I was sleeping when the phone rang.

[actiunea in progres – was sleeping- a fost intrerupta de telefonul care a sunat-rang.]

( Dormeam cand telefonul a sunat.)

➤ To describe two or more actions which were happening simultaneously. („while” clauses)

I was cooking while he was watching TV.

(Eu gateam in timp ce el se uita la televizor).

➤ To describe the background to events in a story/ description.

It was pouring with rain and she was wondering what to do.

3.Time expression:

➤while, when, as, the moment that; all night/day;

I was having a bath when the lights went out.

(Faceam baie, cand lumina s-a oprit.).

Grammar: Present simple vs Present continuous

 

Present simple	Present continuous
Permanent situations/ General truth	Temporary situations
Water boils at 100 degres Celsius. She works as a teacher.	The water is boiling. You can make your coffee. During the university, she is working as a nanny.
Repeated/ habitual actions	Actions happening at or around the time of speaking
It doesn’t rain very much in the summer. I always call my mother when I have a problem.	Let’s go out. It is not raining now. I’m calling my mother because I have a problem.
Timetables/ Programmes (in future)	Fixed arrangements in the near future
The train leaves at 11 o’clock am.	We are visiting our families tonight.

Vocabulary: Colours

 

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